Two Washington County properties could become public parks

The Washington County Board will vote Tuesday on whether to buy two key properties that will be managed as public parks.

One of the parcels, in downtown Stillwater, has 3,500 feet of shoreline on the St. Croix River. That 16-acre parcel, owned by Elayne Aiple, would be owned and managed by the city of Stillwater. The south end of the parcel is adjacent to the former Minnesota Zephyr dinner train depot on the north end of Main Street and would flank the new Browns Creek State Trail, expected to open this year.

The second property, owned by William McDonald, would preserve 4.5 acres as a park and place a conservation easement over an additional 108 acres. Stillwater Township would manage that land, which is situated on the north end of Silver Lake and south of Pine Point Regional Park.

Costs haven’t been disclosed. Money for the land purchases would come from the county’s voter-approved Land and Water Legacy program, intended to preserve water quality and open spaces.